


How the Other Half Lives

by vaderina



Series: Welcome to the Family [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Meet the Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 11:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9120985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: After hearing how Percival has met the Scamander family, the Graves family now want to meet Newt.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read.
> 
> The characters do not belong to me, only the typos and mistakes.

The letter crumpled in Percival’s hand and he closed his eyes for a moment. There was nothing for it, he had to face up to his problems like a man. With a fortifying breath he stood up and stuck his head into the suitcase which had taken up residence in the corner of the bedroom.

“Oh Newtie-pie?” he called cautiously. A moment later a tousled and somewhat dirty head appeared at the bottom of the ladder.

“You called?” the other wizard hollered up, bottled feeding some creature beyond Percival’s limited knowledge of beasts.

“Could you come up here for a moment please? I need to talk to you.”

“Five more minutes. I need to finish settling Gertrude.” Newt smiled and bustled away. Ten minutes later Percival was sitting on their bed, mulling over just how to broach the subject. Newt was still down in his case, probably gently wrangling with Gertrude or another of his creatures. It gave Percival some time to try out various phrasings but nothing seemed to ring right. He ran a hand through his hair and listened as footsteps finally ascended from the case.

“Sorry, Gertie didn’t want to go to bed. She’s an exceptionally clingy baby.” Newt smiled openly at Percival. “Now, what did you need?”

“My sweetest cinnamon roll.” Percival began.

“Uh-oh. What did you do?” Newt cut in.

“You know how I write to my family? Well, I may have messed up a bit.”

“Quit stalling.”

“I may have mentioned that I met your family,” Newt shuddered slightly at the still too raw memory, “and now my family wants to meet you.”

A beat of silence sat between them before Newt forced a small smile.

“Would you like to go?” he asked quietly.

“Only if you’re not too uncomfortable with the idea. I’ve only told them that you’re in my life and have a case of creatures you’re crazy about. Nothing more. I can put them off though. We don’t have to go.” Percival rambled, nervous all of a sudden.

“Percy. Shush. I trust you. If you say it’s okay then we go.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh. When are they expecting us?”

“Umm…at the weekend? They don’t live terribly far.”

Newt nodded and tried to smile a little brighter. He didn’t have a very good idea of what families were like. But if Percival said it will be okay then it must be. Right?

“I just hope they will like me.” he muttered darkly.

“They’ll love you. How could they not when I love you?”

Newt curled into the other wizard for comfort. The visit to his own family still haunted him, Percival knew that. The way Newt would sometimes reach out for him in the middle of the night, grasping for his hand and holding on. He tried to offer what comfort and love he could but he was fighting years of bullying and ingrained beliefs. Percival could only hope that his family could offer an alternate world view which Newt would eventually come to accept.

The weekend rolled around far too quickly. Newt stood nervously by the door, case clutched in his hand while Percival made sure their house was locked up tight. He stood next to the taller wizard and offered his arm.

“Ready?” Percival asked. Newt nodded, face set in grim determination. “I promise they’ll adore you. Though I must warn you, my family is nowhere near as formal as yours. We may have significant historical figures in the family but nobody really takes it all that seriously.”

Percival led them in a series apparates across the country. A route he was well versed in but not one he had ever undertaken with someone by his side. By the time they arrived in a little alley near to his family home Newt was stiff with worry at his side. Before they stepped out into the light and public Percival tugged Newt round to face him. He cupped his cheek in a hand and just took a moment to look at his lover. Newt avoided his gaze for a moment, hands clasping desperately on his case. Unexpectedly one of the locks on the case pooped open, breaking whatever moment Percival was angling for.

“Must get that fixed.” Newt muttered as he closed the clasp firmly. “Shall we? We don’t want to keep your parents waiting.”

They stepped out into the road where houses lined each side. They were quaint, none of them too large or ostentatious. Percival led them up the road and came to a stop at the doorstep of a house with a manicured garden. He reached for Newt’s hand as he knocked on the door. Almost immediately it swung open to reveal a well-dressed woman.

“Percival!” she cried and enveloped her son in a hug.

“Ma.” he replied, head dipped into the crook of her neck for a moment.

“And you must be Newt. I’ve heard so much about you.” she fixed Newt with a smile.

“Hello. Mrs. Graves.” Newt answered and pulled his case slightly higher up to form a subconscious barrier between him and the woman.

“Oh Mrs. Graves was my mother-in-law. Call me Ma.” Newt’s eyes widened slightly at the seemingly casual attitude.

“Hello. Ma.” he repeated.

“Oh you are a doll! Come in, come in. Percival, you’ve got your old room. Don’t worry, I haven’t touched a single thing in there.” her eyes sparkled with mirth, “I expect you’re tired, come through to the living-room when you’re good and ready. I’ll even let you close your door. Just remember the Silencio charm please.”

“MA!” Percival looked scandalised. Newt cast him a worried look. What were they on about? It didn’t seem to be anything too bad though, their wands were still tucked away. Though Percival’s blush was intriguing. He followed the older wizards down a narrow hallway, case still held in front of him like a shield. Percival was opening a door at the end of the hall when his blush was back in full force.

“Honestly Ma. Are you really trying to embarrass me?” he turned to his mother. Newt took a peek into the room. It looked more like a shrine than a room. There were certificates on the wall, various trophies on shelves and posters on the wall. It looked cosy. So he said as much. Mrs. Graves let out a raucous laugh and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I like him Percival. I hope you intend to keep him for a long time.” she grinned before moving down the hallway cooing loudly “Papa! They’re home.” Newt couldn’t make out the reply as Percival shut the door behind them.

“Sorry. She’s…” he was at a loss for words.

“Friendly.” Newt supplied. He set his case down in a corner and looked around again.

“Do you want to go check on everyone after all that travel?” the older wizard offered, aware that maybe the other man needed a little time in a familiar environment to help calm him. Newt however shook his head. It wasn’t yet time for the lunchtime rounds.

“Could we, maybe meet your father?” Newt asked.

“Anything you want.” came the reply. They walked out the door, Newt trailing two steps behind.

“Pa.” Percival greeted as soon as he stepped through a door. He was enveloped in yet another crushing hug. “Pa, this is Newt.”

“Hello Sir.” Newt fixed his gaze on the man’s shoulder.

“Sir? None of the nonsense my boy. Pa will do just fine. I hear you’ve been the one keeping Percival on his toes this last year.”

“Yes Si..yes Pa.” Newt gave a small depreciating smile. “Though Percy does like to do things the hard way.”

“Percy? He lets you call him Percy?” Percival’s father exclaimed. Newt flinched but stood his ground. Percival’s hand came up to rest on the small of his back. “He hasn’t let anyone call him that in years. I remember the first winter he came home from school and solemnly informed us that no self-respecting wizard would be called Percy. Since then we’ve always had to call him Percival.” he chuckled at the memory. “Did you hear that Ma?” he called out.

“Hear what?” Ma wandering into the room, a tray of drinks in her hands.

“Old Percy here. He hasn’t seemed to change.”

“Percy? Why Newt, you might just mellow him in due course.” she laughed. “Now sit, sit. I’ve got a treat for you.”

Once everybody had settled with a drink, Ma sat down next to Newt with a thick book in her hand.

“I’ve always dreamed of showing someone these. I think you’ll appreciate them.”

Without further ado she opened up the first page of the family photo album. Newt couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at the pictures, a very serious Percival stared out from the pages, standing defiantly and tall at all ages. He looked up at the man on the sofa, trying to see if this was okay. He got a smile and a nod.

“I may not have started with the pictures but I know Ma well enough to know that sooner or later they would appear. Just don’t laugh too hard. You might break something.”  
Newt settled back into the sofa and leafed through the book. Ma and Pa helpfully told stories attached to some of the photos, laughing along the way making it obvious that their only child was their pride and joy. Every now and then Percival would chip in too. A small movement in the doorway caught Newt’s attention. He shot towards it, a litany of apologies falling from his lips. He tried to grab the niffler but was too slow.

“Oh Merlin’s beard. I am so sorry. I don’t know how he got loose. He loves all things shiny. I will return anything he stole. Bugger. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.” he muttered as he tried to find the creature.

“Newt.” Pa’s voice cut through his blind panic. “Sit back down. The little guy won’t be able to get out of the house. Let him roam.”

Newt stared at him like he had grown two heads.

“You mean, you don’t mind?”

“Why don’t I find him a few trinkets to play with?” Ma offered up. She gently guided Newt back onto the sofa where Percival put an arm round his shoulder. Within a minute Ma was back with some shiny things. She scattered them round the room, half hiding some of the things to make their retrieval more interesting for the niffler. They proceeded to watch him scuttle round the room and stuff everything into his pouch. Finally, he approached the sofa and despite his pouch dragging him down he clambered up and settled into Ma’s lap, contently tugging at the fur of his pouch. The family stared at him until Pa broke the silence.

“Can we keep him?”

Laughter rang out and Newt stared at the family surrounding him in disbelief. A shrill alarm went off in a nearby room.

“Oh, lunch is ready. Do you want to come through? We have an everyone helps themselves to as much or little as they want policy in this house.” Pa announced and led the way. Ma carried the niffler with her, cooing as she went. The two younger wizards stood, Percival linking fingers with Newt's.

“I told you they’d love you.” he whispered in his ear. Newt nodded with a small smile.

“Newt dear, is there anyone else in your case you want to let out, or need to keep an eye on?” Ma asked just as they were sitting down at the table.

“Oh. Gertrude could probably do with a feed soon. She’s the baby nundu I found. But I don’t want to expose you to something you aren’t comfortable with.”

“Go get her. I assume she’s safe.”

“Oh yes. She hasn’t been exposed to an adult’s breath so she hasn’t had the chance to acquire her own breath mechanism. She was bred in captivity you see.”

Pa shooed him out with a smile.

“He really is something else, isn’t he?” he said turning to his son. “I hope you two will be very happy together for a long time.”

“Thanks Pa.” Percival smiled.

“I may have slipped the niffler a little something on his hunt. Something that belonged to your grandpapa and grandmamma once up on a time. Should you need them.” his mother grinned slyly.

Before Percival could respond Newt was back, Gertrude hoisted high in his arms. Despite being only a cub she was already the size of a large dog. She was sucking on a bottle he held under his chin, needing both hands to support her weights. Lunch was a simple affair full of chuckles, tickles for Gertrude and the niffler (now named Grand Master Toast). Once everyone was finished eating they retired to the living-room once again. Newt put Gertrude back into his case for her afternoon nap, did a quick lunchtime round and went to join them. Some music was playing softly in the background while the Graves family was chatting. Percival yawned spectacularly, almost forgetting to cover his mouth.

“Alright you, off for an afternoon nap.” his mother told him. “You,” she said, pointing at Newt, “make sure he gets some sleep.”

The two men walked into their room and shut the door behind them. Percival muttered a silencing charm and crashed face first into the bed. Newt followed with a more graceful tumble. Even though Percival had been the one to apparate them here, he was still tired from the anxiety of meeting his other half’s family.

A loud knock woke them.

“I’m coming in, you’d better be decent!” Ma shouted through the door. The door swung inwards to reveal Ma standing there, a tray laden with steaming bowls in her hands. The niffler proudly sat on top of her bun, pouch still stuffed with pilfered goods. Newt sat up, conscious about the fact he’d crashed in his clothes which were now rumpled. Percival seemed to have no such qualms. He gave a boyish smile to them both, face pillow creased and hair a mess.

“Thanks Ma.”

She put the tray down and held a hand up for Grand Master Toast to descend onto the bed.

“I’ll leave you two to have a quiet night. Sleep in as long as you want, I’ll whip you up a breakfast when you make an appearance.” she trilled and swept out the room.

“Your Ma’s nice.” Newt stated dumbly, looking at the bowls of soup and fruit.

“Yeah. She’s nice alright. Pass a bowl?” Percival smiled. After the simple dinner they went down into the case. Percival offered to help tickle the niffler free of trinkets. Anything that needed to be returned he could put to one side. Newt readily agreed and took off on his evening rounds of feeding, putting to bed and settling everyone in.

The next morning Newt woke with a groan. Percival was sitting up in bed next to him already, Grand Master Toast battling for something shiny in his hand. They were trading playful swats and tugging on some trinket. Slowly Newt rolled to sit up, he had breakfasts to sort in his case after all.

“I’ve already sorted them. You looked like you could do with a rest.” Percival piped up, “Even Gertrude eventually took the bottle from me.”

“Thank you.” Newt murmured, laying back down and curling up against Percival’s hip. He didn’t see the gleam in the other man’s eye. However the cold hand that ran down his side was enough to have him squealing and shooting out of bed. He glared at Percival who blinked back at him innocently.

“We’ll probably leave soon after breakfast.” he said as though nothing had happened. Newt nodded and set about getting ready. He’d just slipped into his trousers when cold hands ghosted across his ribs again. He screeched and lurched out of the way however Percival laughed and followed him. There was nowhere to go but out the door. Newt wasn’t proud to admit it but he ran, screamed curses mingled with laughter and Percival shot out the door after him. Newt found himself in the kitchen and pulled up short. Percival was hot on his heels and barrelled into him from behind. He just about managed to hold them upright and he peered round slender shoulder.

“Mrs. Graves. Mr. Graves. I mean. Ma. Pa. I’m so sorry.” Newt stumbled over his words, his flush spreading down his chest. Percival stared between them, Newt felt ready to bolt. Laughter suddenly cut through the silence, Newt flinched at the sound.

“Oh son, your face is priceless.” Pa hooted. His wife clutched his arm trying to stay upright, lost in mirth. Every time she sounded like she was about to stop she’d glance at Newt’s face and was off again, cackling like a true witch.

“You boys go get ready now. We’ll have breakfast set up by the time you join us again.” Pa instructed. Percival ushered Newt back into their bedroom where Newt slumped onto the bed.

“I am mortified.” he uttered, burying his face in his hands.

“Eh. They’ve seen worse.” Percival reassured him.

“No. Percy. You don’t understand.”

“Actually, I do. You’re beautiful as you are honeypot. Scars and all. They know the work you do and the dangers involved. They wouldn’t care if you looked like the back end of an erumpent after a rather messy bowel movement. They’d still love you.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

They finished getting ready, moving around each other with easy familiarity. Percival tugged Newt’s shirt straight while Newt handed him a comb. Once presentable they ambled back into the kitchen. Waffles, yoghurts and fruit lined the counter. Newt let Percival lead, a plate was pushed into his hand.

“You know,” Ma started up from behind him, “you have nothing to worry about. Percival dotes on you, and we do too.”

Newt nodded mutely, not sure how to respond. The family chattered as they ate, standing in the kitchen. It was something he’d never experienced before, a calmness, quiet acceptance. His eyes met Percival’s over a bite of an apple. The smile he got was fortifying enough for him to haltingly join the conversation. Sometimes, Newt thought, family wasn’t all bad. And if he could call these people his family, well, he’d be quite content with that.


End file.
